Summary
The Asian countries where you will need cash, when you should set up a digital wallet and the new payment systems like Suica, Alipay, WeChat Pay and GrabPay.
"All of these are regulated, established systems and are safe to use." If you're travelling further afield, Bunnik Tours product team manager, James Atwell, says in the '5 Stans', card use is largely restricted to larger establishments, with US dollars often exchanged into local currency for everyday spending.
"Ultimately, having cash on hand provides flexibility and peace of mind, particularly in case of outages, empty ATMs or places where cards simply aren't accepted," he says. Research from Money.com.au found that a third of Australians have experienced at least one card payment issue on their most recent trip overseas, so even if you are travelling to an area where cards are accepted, cash can come in handy.
"Even if you plan to use your card most of the time, having the equivalent of $100-$200 AUD in local currency can get you out of a bind (e.g. taxis, tips, emergencies)," says finance expert, Sean Callery. James Tao, consumer financial analyst at ING, says you shouldn't rely on just one payment method.
"Asia is incredibly advanced digitally, but it's also incredibly diverse, so it may be a good idea to prepare with a couple of card options and some local cash," he says.
Source
Original coverage by The Canberra Times.
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